Two compartment medical injector



TWO COMPARTMENT MEDICAL INJECTOR Filed July 12, 1965 INVENTOR. JOHN C. WEBB @mpggka ATTORNEY United States Patent TWO COMPARTMENT MEDICAL INJECTOR John C. Webb, San Francisco, Calif., assignor to Amco Capital Corporation and Maryland Capital Corporation, both of San Francisco, Calif., both corporations of California Filed July 12, 1965, Ser. No. 471,357 6 Claims. (Cl. 128-216) This invention relates to an improved compartmented medical injector. More particularly, this invention relates to a syringe injector for storage of various ingredients, containing a plurality of compartments which are interrelated in such a manner that the ingredients may be easily and quickly mixed without destroying the sterile aspect of the device.

It is necessary when employing certain therapeutic preparation to separately maintain various of the ingredients, which have been found to be unstable when mixed. Conventional devices for this purpose usually include at least two segregated compartments, one of which contains the liquid components (ingredients), and the other of which contains the solid components (ingredients). Just before 'an injection of the combined ingredients is to be made with the segregated storage device, the ingredients of the compartments are brought into intimate contact. This is usually accomplished by at least partially removing a common Wall or partition between the two compartments; see, for example, US. 2,636,493 and US. 2,766,755. Such devices as these are either complicated in their structure or diflicult to fabricate and/ or assemble and are sometimes unreliable in service and actual operation. It is therefore a principal object of the present invention to provide a medical injector possessing the desired advantages of segregated storage, mixing and injection capability, while being of relatively simple, yet unobvious construction.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a syringe type injector wherein the walls of one chamber are formed of a flexible material so that when the chamher is squeezed, i.e., when the internal volume is decreased by compressing the walls, the fluid contained therein will develop sufficient hydraulic pressure to break the frangible means separating the chambers containing the solid and liquid components.

Other features, objects, and advantages of the present invention will be more apparent in the following description of preferred embodiments of the present invention which are illustrated in the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a sectional view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention illustrating the assembled position of the frangible partition means;

FIGURE 2 is an extended sectional view similar to FIGURE 1 wherein the frangible partition means have been removed;

FIGURE 3 is a partial sectional view similar to FIG- URE 1 depicting alternate frangible partition means;

FIGURE 4 is an extended perspective view of the structure shown in FIGURE 1;

disposable medical injector of the present invention, generally indicated 8, is provided with a first rigid walled tubular member defining a first chamber 11 made of any suitable rigid or semirigid material, e.g., plastic, glass, or the like, and a second tubular member 12 defining a second chamber 13 having flexible walls of a plastic such as polyethylene or the like; the tubular members 10 and 12 benig at least translucent and preferably transparent to permit inspection of the contents therein. Tubular member 12 is so constructed that its walls are flexible for reducing the cubic capacity to create flluid pressure, more specifically, hydraulic pressure, when the flexible walls are depressed while a liquid is confined therein. In some cases, however, it may be desirable to have tubular member 10 constructed of a flexible matter like that of second tubular member 12.

At one end of tubular member 10 is located an appendage including aperture or opening 14 over which a hypodermic needle 16 can be afiixed in any conventional manner, which needle 16 is covered and protected by cap 17. Solid particles 18 are enclosed in chamber 11 and therefore within tubular member 10 by the frangible means 20 positioned so as to close tubular member 10 at its end opposite opening 14. The frangible means 20 is preferably positioned in a plane at right angles to the axis of tubular members 10 and 12 and being readily rupturable when subjected to about three pounds of internal pressure on one side of the means. Frangible means 20 is retained in sealing commnication with first internal annular seating shoulder 22 (FIG. 2) of tubular member 10 by retainer ring 24 and a second frangible means 26, each of which are forced into a tight, sealing relationship with each other by the urging of second internal annular seating shoulder 28 (FIG. 2) of tubular member 12. Member 12 can be completely or partially filled with a fluid 30, such as the liquid components of the medicament to be injected.

The second end of tubular member 10 is removably connected to the second end of tubular member 12 by attaching means such as looking lugs, or as shown in the drawing, by conventional threaded portions 32 and 34, respectively. Although the figures depict external thread means 32 on the second end of tubular member 10 and internal thread means 34 on a portion of tubular member 12 of slightly greater diameter than the external diameter of the second end of tubular member 10, such thread means could obviously be reversed, i.e., the internal threads of tubular member 12 cold be an integral part of the tubular member 10 and the external threads of tubular member 10 could be positioned on tubular member 12, such a modification being dependent upon the medicaments to be administered.

The frangible membranes 20 and 26 are most preferably circular plastic discs which will rupture when subjected to a minimum amount of pressure, preferably about three pounds ormore of hydraulic pressure. The frangible means can, for example, be fabricated from plastic discs shaven or sanded at the center thereof so as to produce an area which will rupture under the desired pressure or can be formed of a thin film of plastic placed between plastic disc rings. In addition, the frangible means can be fabricated from other suitable materials that are easily rupturable but which will not splinter when ruptured.

Tubular members 10 and 12 can be reused merely by refilling with the desired medicinal components after sterilization and after replacing the ruptured membranes and reinserting new membranes, but normal practice would be to simply dispose of the medical injector 8 after usage.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the two frangible membranes 20 and 26, in combination with retainer ring 24, produce a third enclosed tubular means, i.e., an air chamber 36, which provides a safeguard against accidental leakage of the solid medicant or fluid ingredients in addition to providing a safety factor for the osmotic effect resulting from the liquid 30 stored in chamber 13. The air chamber 36 also provides additional mixing area after the membranes have been ruptured.

When employed as envisioned in this disclosure, the medical injector illustrated in the drawing is first assembled with solids 18 being placed in chamber 11 and the desired liquid ingredients 30 occupying at least a portion of chamber 13. Frangible membrane 20 and associated retainer ring 24 or collar means can thereafter be placed in the second end of tubular member as illustrated by FIGURE 4, and frangible membrane 26 can be placed in the second end of tubular member 12. Of course, the retainer ring 24 could alternatively be positioned in the second end of member 12. The threaded portions of tubular members are then employed to securely position the frangible means in fluid sealing relationship with the second end of tubular member 10 and the second end of tubular member 12 thereby producing an air chamber 36 separating chamber 11 containing the solids from chamber 13 enclosing the liquid.

The completed assembly shown in FIGURE 5, when used, may be conveniently gripped with any suitable mechanical pressure applying means or by an entire hand or by the thumb and forefinger of one hand engaging opposite sides of the flexible walls of tubular member 12. Su'flicient pressure is thereafter applied so that frangible means and 26 will be successively ruptured by the internal hydraulic pressure produced in chamber 13, thereby allowing the liquid ingredients of chamber 13 to be intermixed with the solid ingredients contained in chamber 11. The air tight cap 17 on needle 16 prevents any premature flow of solution. Because of the presence of the air chamber 36, no shaking is necessary to produce adequate mixing. Of course, the medical injector may be shaken, if desired. 7 7

Subsequent to the thorough mixing of the solid and liquid ingredients, the injection operation can then be accomplished by inserting the hypodermic needle appropriately into the patient and applying suflicient additional pressure via the thumb and forefinger or by whatever other pressure applying means might be used to force the solution contained therein through the opening 14 and needle 16 into the blood stream or flesh 'of the patient.

The embodiment depicted by FIGURE 3 differs from that of FIGURE 1 in that one frangible means is employed. Here again, interco'minu'nicati'on between the chambers may be brought about by squeezing inwardly on the flexible side walls of tubular member 12 so as to create suflicient hydraulic pressure in tubular member 12 to rupture the frangible means 20 separating chamber 11 from chamber 13.

It should further be noted that the attaching means as employed in the medical injector 8, because of their overlapping nature, provide extra protection against accidental or unintentional rupture or breakage of the frangible members 20 and 26. v I With the device of this invention, it will be possible to fill and store medicants, in solid, liquid or jelly form, for prolonged periods without actual mixing. In fact, it is envisioned that different medicants can be color coded or the like so that they can be freely used and mixed with other medicants as directed. In this manner, a ready supply of injection materials is always available, and flexibility is almost unlimited. All that is required for 'st'erile storing is a protecting member '(not shown) over each second end of each tubular member 10 and 12, which protecting member would be removed just prior to the attaching of the desired tubular members together immediately before injection of the prescribed medicants.

The invention, besides being applicable to one solid medicant and one liquid medicant, may also obviously be used with two liquid medicants and at least one medicant in jelly form. In short, this invention can be adapted to administer medicants in whatever form prescribed.

The foregoing detailed description has been given for clearness of understanding only, and no unnecessary limitations should be understood therefrom, for some modifications will be obvious to those skilled in the art.

I claim as my invention:

1. A medical injector, for segregated storage of ingredients combinable as a therapeutic preparation, comprising:

(a) a tubular member defining a first chamber;

(b) a hypodermic needle connected to a first end of said first tubular member for fluid communication with said first chamber;

(c) a second tubular member defining a second chamber having flexible walls and being closed at its first end;

((1) said second tubular member having a second end removably connected to the second end of said first tubular member;

(e) said connection between said first and second tubular members being provided by (1) external thread means formed on said second end of one of said tubular members; and

(2) internal thread means formed on said second end of said other tubular member at a diameter slightly greater than the external diameter of the second end of said tubular member having said external thread means so that the two tubular members may be threadably connected to each other; and

(f) frangible means situated between first and second members at the juncture therebetween for normally preventing communication between said first and second chamber, said frangible means being breakable by transmission of suflicient hydraulic pressure through inward distortion of the walls of said second chamber when a fluid is confined in said second chamber wherein said frangible means comprises two circular frangible discs spaced apart from each other by a ring shaped collar, whereby said discs and collar defined a third chamber.

2. A medical injector as set forth in claim 1 wherein at least one of said first and second chambers is at least translucent to permit visual observation therein.

3. A medical injector as set forth in claim 2 wherein said first tubular member contains near its second end a first internal annular seating shoulder against which is seated one of said frangible circular discs to normally close said second end of said first tubular member.

4. A medical injector as set forth in claim 3 wherein said second tubular member has a second end internal annular seating shoulder formed near its second end whereby the other of the frangible circular discs is seated to normally close said second end of said second tubular member.

5. A medical injector, for segregated storage of ingredients combinable as a therapeutic preparation, comprising:

(a) a first rigid walled tubular member defining a first chamber;

(b) a hypodermic needle connected to a first end of said first tubular member for fluid communication with said first chamber;

(c) a first internal annular seating shoulder formed near the second 'end of said first tubular member;

('d) a first frangible circular disc seated against said first shoulder to normally 'close said second end of said first tubular member;

(e) a second tubular member defining a second chamber having flexible walls and a closed first end;

(f) said second tubular member having a second end removably connected to said second end of said first tubular member;

'(g) a second internal annular seating shoulder formed 5 6 near said second end of said second tubular member; References Cited (h) a second frangible circular disc seated against said UNITED STATES PATENTS second shoulder to normally close said second end of said second tubular member; and 1388946 8/1921 Goold 128-216 (i) collar means positioned between said discs for re- 5 2,364,126 12/1944 candor 128F272 taining them in seated position and spaced from each 14041316 7/1946 sack 128 272 other, said frangible circular discs being breakable 2612163 9/1952 Norman 128*272 by transmission of sufficient hydraulic pressure from 2,753,868 7/1956 Seemar 128 272 the distortion of the Walls of said second tubular FOREIGN PATENTS member, when a fluid is confined in said second 10 58147 8/1891 Germany chamber. 6. A medical injector as set forth in claim 5 wherein RICHARD GAUDET Primary said frangible circular discs is of a material subject to rupture at about 3 pounds of hydraulic pressure. BAKER, Asslslam Examiner- 

1. A MEDICAL INJECTOR, FOR SEGREGATED STORAGE OF INGREDIENTS COMBINABLE AS A THERAPEUTIC PREPARATION, COMPRISING: (A) A TUBULAR MEMBER DEFINING A FIRST CHAMBER; (B) A HYPODERMIC NEEDLE CONNECTED TO A FIRST END OF SAID FIRST TUBULAR MEMBER FOR FLUID COMMUNICATION WITH SAID FIRST CHAMBER; (C) A SECOND TUBULAR MEMBER DEFINING A SECOND CHAMBER HAVING FLEXIBLE WALLS AND BEING CLOSED AT ITS FIRST END; (D) SAID SECOND TUBULAR MEMBER HAVING A SECOND BEND REMOVABLY CONNECTED TO THE SECOND END OF SAID FIRST TUBULAR MEMBER; (E) SAID CONNECTION BETWEEN SAID FIRST AND SECOND TUBULAR MEMBERS BEING PROVIDED BY (1) EXTERNAL THREAD MEANS FORMED ON SAID SECOND END OF ONE OF SAID TUBULAR MEMBERS; AND (2) INTERNAL THREAD MEANS FORMAED ON SAID SECOND END OF SAID OTHER TUBULAR MEMBER AT A DIAMETER SLIGHTLY GREATER THAN THE EXTERNAL DIAMETER OF THE SECOND END OF SAID TUBULAR MEMBER HAVING SAID EXTERNAL THREAD MEANS SO THAT THE TWO TUBULAR MEMBERS MAY BE THREADEDLY CONNECTED TO EACH OTHER; AND (F) FRANGIBLE MEANS SITUATED BETWEEN FIRST AND SECOND MEMBERS AT THE JUNCTURE THEREBETWEEN FOR NORMALLY PREVENTING COMMUNICATION BETWEEN SAID FIRST AND SECOND CHAMBER, SAID FRANGIBLE MEANS BEING BREAKABLE BY TRANSMISSION OF SUFFICIENT HYDRAULIC PRESSURE THROUGH INWARD DISTORTION OF THE WALLS OF SAID SECOND CHAMBER WHEN A FLUID IS CONFINED IN SAID SECOND CHAMBER WHEREIN SAID FRANGIBLE MEANS COMPRISES TWO CIRCULAR FRANGIBLE DISC SPACED APART FROM EACH OTHER BY A RING SHAPED COLLAR, WHEREBY SAID DISC AND COLLAR DEFINED A THIRD CHAMBER. 